My Review of Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)

 

Written by Stan Berkowitz And Darwyn Cooke

Directed by Dave Bullock

King Faraday (to everyone): "All of you remember today, there are no Democrats, no Republicans, no hawks, no doves. Just the naked simplicity of an absolute: Mankind's survival. Good luck to us all."

I am so behind with a lot of animated movies and before I think about finishing off the imminently ending Tomorrowverse, I'm casting back to the late 2000s and I found myself watching this interesting entry. 

Based on DC's The New Frontier, this adaptation focused on a sentient island called The Centre (Keith David). The Centre has seen the evolution and death of dinosaurs and the absolute worst in humanity. For the latter alone, The Centre has decided that humanity needed to go.

Of course, everyone else had different ideas. There are a lot of characters here and the focus was all over the place but not in a bad way as we build up towards the only force capable of stopping The Centre from carrying out it's plans.

First of all, The Flash (Neil Patrick Harris) had to consider giving up his superhero status following an encounter with Captain Cold (James Arnold Taylor) while Wonder Woman (Lucy Lawless) had liberated a bunch of women and severely dealt with the men that had enslaved them. Her actions led to a bit of a conflict with Superman (Kyle MacLachlan).

Then there was Batman (Jeremy Sisto). We saw him battling cults with Slam Bradley (Jim Meskimen) while training Robin (Shane Haboucha) and also allying with J'onn Jonz/Martian Manhunter (Miguel Ferrer). As for Hal Jordan (David Boreanaz), his origins were glossed over but the main points still managed to deliver.

Having these bunch of heroes along with other characters battle The Centre led for a rather epic third act, even if there was a death fake out for Superman. Of course by the end of the movie, The Centre had been defeated and the Justice League formed. 

- There's archive recordings of John F. Kennedy used in the movie, given it's period setting.

- After playing Aquaman in Smallville, Alan Ritchson got to voice him here too.

- The Challengers Of The Unknown along with Larry Trainor also appeared in the movie.

- Chronology: 1950s America, post Korean War. 

Justice League: The New Frontier was a joyful, nostalgic blast with a great use of the main heroes, glimpses of their iconic foes and a strong baddie in The Centre. There's some great action sequences and character moments. 

Rating: 8 out of 10